Chancellor respects reaction to UNCW athletics proposal

UNCW Chancellor Gary Miller showed empathy toward the five athletic programs facing elimination Tuesday and asked the university’s Board of Trustees for their continued input on the matter.Last week, the chancellor-appointed Intercollegiate Athletics Review Committee (IARC) released an 18-page report recommending that UNCW stop sponsoring teams in men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s cross country, men’s indoor track and softball effective for the 2013-14 academic year.On Tuesday afternoon, in an email obtained by the StarNews, the chancellor notified board members of an assembly scheduled for Wednesday outside Trask Coliseum, where representatives from the targeted programs, including coaches, are expected to speak.“They were not in an easy position, nor, I recognize, are you all, as you continue to field questions from the community,” Miller wrote. “Like the committee, I feel deep compassion for those student-athletes and coaches facing the possible elimination of their programs. The reaction has been expected and appropriate, and I have a great deal of respect for the perspectives being offered both publicly and privately.”The swimming programs, in particular, have received an outpouring of support from current and former athletes, parents and members of the local and national swimming community. In the last week, more than 12,000 people joined a Facebook page called Save UNCW Swim and Dive, and the same number also signed a petition at change.org.The IARC report came after three months of meetings, interviews and a comprehensive study of the university’s athletic department financial portfolio. They found a “fiscal crisis” that demanded action. The proposed cuts are projected to eventually allow an annual reinvestment of $800,000 in the cash-strapped department.Miller told the board they would not wait until the next scheduled meeting in August to discuss the IARC recommendations, adding that he’d contact them “very soon” to confirm upcoming meetings.The decision is expected to be reached within the “coming weeks”, a university spokesperson said last week when the report was released.Miller told the board he is in constant contact with his leadership team as it reviews the report and its data.“It is critical that we focus on the long-term future of the university as we consider the important recommendations in this report. We owe that to everyone involved.”